You're Beautiful
by RobxStar4eva
Summary: [AU]Dick leads a stressful life. But when he meets the girl of his dreams on a subway, things seem to perk up. The only problem is...She's engaged! Not your average fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **_I'm back again with a new story. This was originally intended to be a oneshot but I couldn't contain myself. __Anyways, just incase you don't know:_

_Dick is Robin  
Kori is Starfire  
_

_Oh, and Bruce and Dick have no father/son relationship in this. Bruce is simply his slave driver...I mean boss. ;) __Enjoy_

**

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You're Beautiful**

"I am the crazy frog! Duh da, duh duh da duh do. Duh da di daduh duh do da duh. Bing! Bing!"

"Bloody hell!" Dick cursed as he opened his eyes and fumbled around for his phone. He hated that damn ring tone. Gar was definitely gonna pay for it this time.

"What the hell do you want?" He asked sleepily, finally answering his cell if only to rid himself of that stupid song.

"Good morning to you too, Richard." A woman replied sarcastically.

"Barbara? What's wrong? Why are you calling at…" He paused to looked at his clock. "…9 in the morning on a _Saturday_?"

"Have you forgotten _what_ Saturday it is, Richard?"

Dick rubbed his face, feeling a night's worth of stubble on his chin. "It's Saturday the 27th. So?"

He heard his secretary sigh. "Bruce is expecting you here for the-"

"The big meeting!" Dick exclaimed, finally catching on. "Crap! I'll be there as soon as I can."

Hanging up, Dick leapt from the bed, tripping over the sheets as he scrambled to get ready and falling flat on his face with a thump.

"Ow! _That's_ gonna leave a mark."

Pulling himself to his feet he entered the bathroom, yelping as he noticed the blood trickling from his nose. Making a grab for the tissues he leaned forward and pinched the bridge of his nose carefully.

"This is just not my day."

* * *

"This is _definitely _not my day" Dick repeated to himself, tapping his foot impatiently and checking his watch for the fourth time. His train was late and Bruce was going to kill him for sure. 

'But what maniac holds business meetings at 9.30am on a Saturday?' He questioned himself.

"The 9.15 train to Gotham Central will be arriving at platform 2 in 5 minutes. We apologise for the delay."

Dick sighed. "Finally!"

The station was busy for a Saturday morning and people were rushing to find the best seats in the carriages, preferably one without gum stuck on it. Someone pushed past, knocking Dick's polystyrene cup of coffee. He swore loudly, gaining a few stares, as the steaming liquid spilt down his shirt, scolding his skin and straining the fabric. No doubt Bruce would make a comment on it later. Much to his embarrassment he then tripped on his shoelaces that he barely had enough time to tie before leaving his apartment. Hopping into a carriage he set down his briefcase, letting himself fall onto a seat in the nearest booth and mumbling a few curse words as he caressed his now sprained ankle. He looked to the sky as if the ask God why he had chosen to pick on him, today of all days.

"Excuse me, could-"

"What!" Dick snapped, turning to the couple standing beside him. He instantly regretted the tone in which he had replied, especially as his eyes settled on the beautiful woman that was with the man who had just spoken.

"I'm sorry," The man apologised. "I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind moving your briefcase so that my fiancée and I could sit down."

Dick was gob smacked. "Fiancée!" He wanted to scream, but managed to settle for "Yes, of course."

They thanked him and took their seats, Dick's eyes never once straying from them.

The train was suddenly in motion and the happy couple began to talk. Dick picked up a newspaper so as not to make his staring quite so obvious. Of course, he was the only one who didn't realise that it was upside down.

'She has to be the most beautiful creature in the world. No, the _universe_!' He thought to himself as he contemplated every aspect of her from top to toe. Her hair was midway down her back and was of a shade of red that Dick swore he had never seen before. It was sort of…fiery! Then came her eyes. They were, in fact, the first things he had noticed about her, but he didn't dare look at them directly, no matter how awe-inspiring they were, for fear of drowning in them. Instead, he took quick glances, each time having to summon more and more will power to look away again. They were a _supernatural_ green and her lashes were long and full.

Dick wisely decided not to look _too_ intently at her chest but saw enough to know that she was of…ample size. He moved swiftly on down to her legs. She had them crossed, a sign of modesty he had always believed, and was wearing a knee-length skirt, showing off her sun-kissed tan. She wore a pair of delicate sandals with a slight heel. He felt that she was tall enough already.

A muffled laugh interrupted his '_inspection_', however, and Dick brought his eyes back up to see the man placing teasing kisses on the woman's nose. He too was then interrupted by the ring of his cell phone. The woman's smile instantly fell and her childlike giggled faded away into a sigh of disappointment. Dick was intrigued by the obvious loss of sparkle in the woman's eyes and was extremely surprised when he noticed that those pools of emeralds were now looking at him! She blinked a number of times before flashing a breathtaking smile. Dick couldn't help but smile back as he found her sudden happiness quite contagious.

The train came to a halt and Dick and the woman remained in eye contact as she, along with her fiancée, exited the carriage. Smiling once more, the woman took her fiancée's arm and led him across the platform. Dick, mesmerized, watched her figure disappear into the crowds. He barely noticed the train set in motion again. Leaning back in his seat he let out a sigh.

"Hey wait a minute." He spoke aloud. "That was my stop!"

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**Author's Note: **_What did you think? I tried to picture what the most awful day of Dick's life would be and..this is what i came up with. Pretty funny if you ask me. For those of you that don't know what the ringtone was on Dick's phone, look up the Crazy Frog on the internet. _

_So...review?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **_Not an amazing chapter but it does see the arrivial of some well known characters. So hopefully this will be enough to keep you hanging on till next time. **Just a quick edit** (27/12/05): Karen (formally named Bianca) is supposed to be Bumblebee. Thanks to Daybreak25 for correcting me. : )_

**

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Chapter 2 **

Tossing his coffee-stained shirt aside, Dick stepped into the shower, allowing the warm water to run down his back. Today had been stressful, that was for sure. Bruce had decided that today was the day that he would inform Dick of each and every one of his faults.

"_Number one, you're late. Two, you're shirt is a disgrace. You look like you've just woken up, your shoe laces are untied, you've left half your paperwork at home, you broke my secretary's heart and therefore she left…"_

He went on like that for 15, whole minutes and Dick was sure he was about to be fired. Instead, he was given a warning and a great, big boost of confidence…not!

Dick leaned back and let the water fall onto his tired face before sticking an arm out from behind the shower curtain and groping, blindly for his towel. Wrapping it around his torso, he made his way into the bedroom just as the phone began to ring.

"Hello?"

"Richard, it's Vic."

Dick smiled. Victor was one of his oldest friends. "What's up?" He asked coolly.

"Gar and I are heading down to that new club tonight. Thought you might wanna come."

Dick chuckled. Victor knew full well that he worked for the man that owned the new club. "Are you just trying to get in without paying again?"

There was a silence, followed by a laugh. "You know me too well, man!" Vic replied. "But seriously, you wanna come and hang out? I heard Bruce is driving you pretty hard these days."

"You don't know the half of it." Dick mumbled. "Yeah, why not. I could use a night out. See you there about 8?"

"8 'o clock it is."

* * *

The name of the club was 'Jam-Packed' and it fitted perfectly. The place was buzzing with people and Victor and Dick had trouble trying to find a place to sit. Eventually they found a table and a few chairs in a corner and decided to call it 'home' for the evening. 

"Can't Garfield _ever_ be on-time?" Dick complained, getting slightly agitated with the amount of women who had come over and asked for a dance. He had dismissed each one with a polite refusal but his patience was running out fast. Victor eyed him suspiciously.

"You ok, man? I mean it's not like you to turn down a pretty lady."

Dick sighed. "I dunno. I'm just…something happened on the train today and now I don't feel like dancing with every dumb, blonde that comes my way."

"Surely not _all_ blondes are dumb, are they Richard?" A voice interrupted just as Victor was about to ask _what_ had happened on the train to change his entire personality. The two men looked up to see Garfield, Terra, Raven and Karen; a few well known friends of theirs.

"You are the exception, Terra." Dick replied with a grin.

"I found these lovely ladies outside," Gar explained. "And thought you wouldn't mind if they joined us."

"Actually," Karen began. "We're waiting for our ownfriend, Kori Anders soon-to-be Harper."

"Yeah." Raven agreed. "She's getting married next month and we wanted to take her out for a bit of fun before she _completely_ ruins her life."

Dick raised and eyebrow. "Ruins her life?"

"The guy's a great, big-"

A hand suddenly covered Raven's mouth.

"That's enough, 'Miss Pessimist'." Terra joked. She turned to the guys. "What Raven means to say is that…we're not overly keen on jacka-I mean bloke."

Karen rolled her eyes. "You guys need to butt-out. It's her life and she can choose whoever she likes. Anyway, you boys gonna buy us some drinks or are we just standing around for nothin'?"

Dick rose from his seat. "I'll go. You all want your usuals?"

The girls nodded and Dick headed off in the direction of the bar.

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**Author's Note:** _Reviews will be much appreciated._


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** _A tad short, I'm afraid._

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Chapter 3 **

Dick handed the bartender a $20 bill as payment for the girl's drinks. He knew instinctively what they wanted. After all, they had all gone to college together and had, at some point in time, dated.

Raven was a strictly Gin & Tonic girl. She had once explained that she enjoyed the bitter aftertaste, and it could quite possibly be to blame for her often, depressive, moods.

Karen wasn't a big drinker but did enjoy a pint of beer with the guys and occasionally opted for a small glass of white wine.

Terra, however, was at the other end of the spectrum. She could knock back half a dozen shots, mixed her drinks to form all sort of unusual concoctions and _still_ be sober enough to hold a decent conversation. One thing was for sure, if you went out with Terra, you were in for a good time.

Drinks in hand, Richard made his way through the numerous crowds and back to the table, only to find that the girls were no longer there. He gave Garfield a suspicious look.

"You must have said something _pretty_ indecent to make the girls leave."

"What makes you think _I_ said something!" Gar replied, slightly offended. "I didn't do anything! They said they had spotted their friend and told Vic and me they'd be back in a few minutes."

As if on cue, the girls returned, their mysterious friend in tow.

"Guys," Terra began. "I'd like you all to meet Kori Anders. Our good friend."

A redheaded young woman stepped forward at the mention of her name. She was dressed in dark, denim jeans and a peacock blue, spaghetti-strap top with lace across the bust. She greeted each of the men one by one but when turning to Richard, he seemed stuck for words. He was lost in her brilliant, green eyes.

'Say hi.' His mind urged. 'Say something. Say _anything!_' It pleaded, but to no avail. As a last, desperate attempt, he stuck out a hand without a word.

Kori chuckled and accepted the formal greeting, shaking his hand gently.

"It's nice to meet you, Richard."

At last his mouth obeyed his command.

"It's...nice to meet you too."

* * *

Victor gave Richard a nudge, pulling his gaze away from Kori's twirling form as she danced with her friends. 

"Man, I never thought I'd see the day when Richard Grayson was left _literally_ _speechless_ by a woman." He laughed. "What happened?"

Richard shook his head in wonder. "I really don't know." He answered truthfully. "It must be fate! I mean…she…I…we…the subway…"

Garfield raised a hand and smacked the back of Dick's head.

"Pull yourself together, dude!" He exclaimed. "Now what the _hell_ are you talking about subways for?"

Rubbing his sore head, Richard let out a sigh.

"This morning…I was running late for a business meeting. Everything was going wrong. I smashed my nose, the train was delayed, someone poured hot coffee on me, I sprained my ankle…but then…" Dick paused and allowed his eyes to regain their focus on the redheaded beauty.

"I met a woman." He continued. "Well, I didn't really _meet_ her. She sat opposite me on the train. But she was beautiful! I swear I've never seen anybody as beautiful her!"

"So…did you get her number?" Victor asked, knowing Dick's usual style.

Richard shook his head. "No. She…she was with her fiancée."

Vic and Gar glanced at each other before erupting in a fit of laughter.

"It's _not_ funny!" Dick growled, silencing his two friends instantly. "I couldn't take my eyes off of her. All the way from Jump City station to Gotham Central I watched her. And then, finally, she looked at me."

Gar raised an eyebrow. "Dude, get over it. She's engaged. And it's not like you're ever gonna see her again."

Richard clenched his fists. "No, you don't understand!" He yelled. "That woman…it's…it's Kori. She's the one!"

Garfield and Victor starred, eyes wide. But their gaze lifted to settle on the figure before them.

Dick turned around only to come face to face with non-other than Kori herself.

She smiled sweetly at him.

"Richard, would you like to dance with me?"

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**Author's Note:** _Reviews please!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **_So, is this quick enough for you? I promised to update faster . Some people were a bit confused by my last chapter, so to clear things up:_

_- Kori wasn't flirting with Richard, she was curious as to who he was.You'll see that in this chapter._

_- The reason I said that gin and tonic could be to blame for Raven's depressive moods is because Gin is a depressant._**

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**Chapter 4**

"So," Richard began, desperately trying to make conversation. He had accepted Kori's offer and was now standing on the dance floor with her. He felt extremely uncomfortable.

'_Uncomfortable_?' He thought. 'The only woman I have _ever_ been _uncomfortable_ around was Kitten! What's going on?'

"Do you not know how to dance, Richard?" Kori asked, noticing that he wasn't moving. But before he could even reply she had taken his hands and placed them on her waist. She laid her hands on his shoulders.

"I love to dance." She explained. "So I will teach you."

Taking him to one side she talked him through some basic steps, praising him when he perfected them faster than she had imagined. Who was he to tell her that he had actually learnt to dance as a child? He was having fun, and by the look on her face, so was she.

Kori spent a further 15 minutes demonstrating some more _advanced_ steps before finally pulling Richard back onto the dance floor.

He smiled, finally relaxing enough to talk. "So…I hear you're getting married."

"Yes." Kori replied simply. Richard couldn't help but notice that her mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"You ok?"

Kori blinked a few times before chuckling. "I am. But I am trying to understand why you look so familiar."

The song they had been dancing to suddenly ended and a slower one began to play. Kori once again placed her hands on Richard's shoulders, and Richard returned his to her waist.

"We…we sat opposite each other on the train this morning." He replied, slightly offended that she hadn't remembered him quite so vividly as he did her.

"That's _right_!" Kori gasped. "You were the kind gentleman who gave us our seats. What a coincidence!"

The two become silent, neither one daring to look at the other. They swayed softly to the music, each wrapped in their own thoughts.

"So what were you doing in Gotham?" Richard suddenly asked, catching the redhead off guard.

"Oh, Roy, my fiancée, works in Gotham. Well actually, he works all over the country. I…I don't usually go to work with him, of course but…"

Richard could sense that she was having trouble explaining.

Kori sighed and began again. "Roy is often away on business. And sometimes we do not spend much time together. I _hate_ it when we are apart for so long. I get lonely when I am on my own in his _ridiculously_ large house. So I insisted that I accompany him today."

"I wish _I_ had somebody to come to work with me. All I get is yelled at by my boss."

"You do not have a girlfriend?" Kori asked, almost amazed.

Dick chuckled. "Er…not really. I don't really have much luck with women."

"You do not need '_luck_' when it comes to women." Kori replied. "You do not even have to be appealing to the eye. If you have charm, a good sense of humour, and are polite, caring and attentive then you should have no problem. Are _you_ all of those things, Richard?"

Richard didn't quite know how to reply. _Was_ he all of those things? He had to admit, he had never been too _attentive_ with his past girlfriends. In fact, could he even call them girlfriends? They were more like…extended one-night stands. At that moment he suddenly realised why he had always felt like a part of him was missing. He needed a woman to love, and for her to love him in return. Not just some…_little girl_ who was only up for a few hours of fun.

Kori stared at him, waiting patiently for her answer. "Richard?"

Richard snapped back to reality, hanging his head. "I'm…I'm afraid to say that I'm probably _not_ all of those things. Or at least the women I've dated wouldn't think so."

Kori opened her mouth to object but was distracted by the sound of her name being called.

"Kori?"

She turned her head. "_Roy_? What are you doing here?"

Roy was quite a tall man with red hair. Not at all like the red of Kori's hair. It was more ginger than anything. His broad shoulders and muscular build were enough to intimidate anybody. But not Richard. He wore a plain, but expensive looking suit and his face was a mixture of confusion and anger.

"I came to find _you_!" Roy exclaimed, moving closer to the two of them. "You never told me you were going out! And who's this jackass?"

Kori gasped. "Roy! How could you be so rude! This is Richard. He gave us our seats on the-"

"I don't care." Roy interrupted, grabbing her arm. "Come on. We're going home."

"But-"

"_Now_, Kori!" Roy ordered as he stormed off towards the doors.

Kori turned to face Dick, guilt written all over her face. "I am sorry, Richard. Roy, he…I must go."

Richard took her of her hand and kissed it. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

With that he headed away from the dance floor and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Kori to discover a small piece of paper he had slipped into her palm. It was a telephone number.

**

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**Author's Note: **_Did you guys see the episode "GO"? They kissed! Anyways, I've finally introduced Roy Harper into the story. And just incase you didn't know, he is Speedy._

_Reviews, reviews, reviews!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **_Gald you guys liked the last chapter. You're reviews were great and they really made me smile. This is dedicated to you all!_

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Chapter 5

Opening her eyes reluctantly, Kori rolled over to the other side of the bed. It was cold. This side of the bed had been cold every morning since that night at the club. Roy had not been happy at all. Kori sighed, remembering the argument with extraordinary vividness.

"_Why didn't you **tell** me you were going out?" Roy exclaimed as he threw open the door to the house. "It would have saved me the 2 hours I spent running around Jump City trying to find you!"_

_Kori frowned. "I'm not a little girl, Roy. I don't have to tell you **every time** I leave the house."_

_Roy carried on as if he hadn't even heard her. "And what where you doing dancing with that man!" He exclaimed. "**I'm** you're fiancée! He could have taken advantage of you. Do you even know his name?"_

"_His name was Richard Grayson and he was **very** kind." Kori snapped._

"_Grayson, huh?" Roy mused. "I know that name. He works for Wayne Enterprises."_

_Kori's eyes widened. "The company that is trying to buy you out?"_

_Roy nodded angrily. "Yes!" He sighed loudly. "You were literally dancing with the enemy, Kori! I'm trying to keep us out of poverty and you're out partying with the guy that's trying to take the clothes off our backs!"_

_Kori breathed in sharply. "Poverty?" She repeated just higher than a whisper. "You do not know the **meaning** of poverty, Roy! Poverty to you is having to live in a one-bedroom semi! When I was growing up the place I slept was wherever I had walked to. I lived on the **streets,** Roy! **That** is what poverty means."_

_Roy ran a hand through his neatly gelled hair and sighed. "Kori…I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I was just worried, you know?" He reached out and pulled Kori into his arms." Can you forgive me?"_

_Kori squeezed her eyes tight as the tears threatened to fall and slipped out of her fiancée's embrace. She opened her mouth but shut it again just as quick and headed towards the bedroom. _

"_Goodnight, Roy."_

Shaking her head, Kori swung her legs over the side of the bed and set her feet down on the marbled floor. She curled her toes and stretched her arms above her head before pulling on her dressing gown and heading out into the hallway. It was quite late in the morning and as Kori came closer to the kitchen she could hear the soft humming of Maria, the maid that Roy had hired to look after the house. She was quite a young woman, probably not much younger than Kori herself. Her hair was tied back in a neat bun and the house was always left spotless at the end of the day.

"Good morning, Miss Anders." She greeted with a polite bob of the head. "Did you sleep well?"

Kori smiled. "Maria, how many times must I ask you to call me by my first name? I am not one for formalities. And in answer to your question, I'm afraid I did not."

"Are the bed sheets uncomfortable?" Maria asked. "I could change them if you-"

Kori laughed. "Good heavens, no! They are the _softest_ sheets I have_ ever _slept on. I have just…had some things on my mind."

Kori watched as Maria began to wash up dishes and cutlery by hand and made her way over to the sink. "Here, let me help. I'm still not used to having people do things for me."

Maria smiled. "Thank you, Miss Anders."

"You're most welcome."

The two women stood side by side and within 10 minutes every plate, knife, and fork was clean, dry and back in their rightful places.

"Oh, Maria, did Roy tell you what time he will be back this evening?"

Maria's face scrunched up in confusion. "This evening?" She repeated. "Mr. Harper went away to New York this morning. He will not be back for at least another week."

Kori blinked in disbelief. "He…he has gone away on business?"

Maria nodded. "Yes. I thought he would have told you."

Kori shook her head slowly. "No. No he did not."

With a swift turn, Kori ran back through the long corridor and burst into her bedroom. She leant against the door as it closed and held a hand to her head in shock. Roy had left without telling her. Why would he do that?

Kori fell to the floor as a few stray tears made their way down her flushed cheeks. In a sudden rush of anger, Kori reached for her purse and fished out a small piece of crumpled up paper. Wiping away her tears and smoothing the paper out in her hand she entered the number that was written on it into her cell phone. Her thumb hovered over the call button for a moment before she pressed it quickly and held the phone to her ear. Her heart rate increased as it began to ring. Biting her bottom lip, she heard the familiar click of someone answering.

"Hello?"

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**Author's Note: **_I'll give you 3 guess to tell me who's on the other end of the phone. CoughrichardCough. _

_The reason I added the little bit out Kori living in poverty as a child is because I wanted to try and keep the personalities and lives of the characters similair to that of the Titans. And as a child, Starfire was taken prisoner. After she escaped she kinda had to wonder around on her own for a bit so...that's where I got the 'sleeping on the streets' idea from._


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** _I should just let you know that this is a pretty "blah" chapter. A couple of people were a little mad that I made Roy sound like a bad guy but don't worry. I'm not going to go down the whole "Roy has an affair" road._**

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**Chapter 6**

It had only been a week. 7days. In all honesty, he hadn't expected her to call at all! She was engaged and in a happy relationship. Yeah, her fiancée had kinda flipped his lid at the club. But wouldn't he have done the same thing if _he _had caught his woman dancing with another man? He had been finishing off some paper work in the office when the phone rang. He had answered it just like any other call, definitely not expecting '_her'_ to be on the other end.

"_Hello?" Richard answered coolly, pushing the papers to one side._

"_Richard Grayson?" The female voice asked._

"_Yeah, that's me. What can I do for ya?"_

_The caller was silent for a moment as if she were not sure what she was calling for. "This is Kori. Kori Anders. We met at the club."_

_Richard sat up from his slouched position and cleared his throat. "Kori." He repeated. "I didn't think you would call."_

_He could hear her stuttering, obviously nervous. But what for?_

"_I wished to…apologise, for what happened-"_

"_It's fine." Richard assured. "Really."_

"_No, I wished to apologise in person." Kori urged. "Please, my…my conscience will not let me rest if I do not."_

_Richard grinned to himself and glanced at his watch. "Well, I leave for my lunch break in about…an hour and a half. Do you wanna meet for coffee?"_

"_Yes, that would be nice." Kori replied, her tone lifting with happiness. "But I am afraid I do not know my way around Gotham very well so you must pick a place for us to meet."_

"_All right. If you're coming by train then I know a place near the station. It's next to a little Indian boutique and has 2 big pillars right outside the doors, you can't miss it."_

"_Very well. I shall see you there."_

So here he was. Sitting in a small, Italian café waiting for her to arrive. He had about 40 minutes left of his lunch break, possibly 50, seeing as Bruce was in quite a lenient mood today.

A bell jingled, signifying that the door to the café had been opened and Richard rose off his seat ever so slightly to get a better a look.

Kori's eyes wandered over the heads of the people dinning and drink coffee and smiled as she came across a familiar face. He waved to her and she began to weave in and around the tables and chairs before reaching her destination. Placing her handbag on the floor she took her seat.

Richard smiled at her, taking in the sight before him. She was dressed almost business-like, in a grey trouser suit and pointed shoes. Her hair was loosely curled and flowed down her back and over one shoulder.

"You look…er, it's nice to see you again." Richard stuttered, catching himself before saying something _very_ stupid.

Kori blushed. "Yes, I…" She sighed and fell straight into her apology. "I am so very sorry about what happened that night, Richard. Roy did not mean to be so rude; he just…he is very protective of me and sometimes can get a little obsessive and occasionally violent when he sees me with other men-"

"Violent!" Dick exclaimed, suddenly fearing for Kori's well being.

Kori gasped. "Oh dear, I did _not_ mean that how it sounded. Roy would never hurt me! He has just…once or twice…got into fights with men who have, in Roy's mind, gotten a little too close to me. …"

Dick furrowed his brow as Kori continued to list off her reasons for her fiancée's outburst. Something was not right.

"…And after all I had not told Roy that I would be going out that evening so he had every right to be angry."

"Does he know you're here now?" Richard asked, catching the redhead off guard for the second time in one week.

Kori's cheeks flushed. "He...o-of course he knows I'm-"

"Kori." Richard warned. "Does he know?"

With a sigh, she hung her head. "No. He does not." She felt like a child. Not only did Roy not trust her to leave the house by herself but also now Richard was asking if anybody knew where she was! She was a 25-year woman, for goodness sakes! Anger suddenly burned in her soul and she raised her eyes to settle on the man before her.

"Roy is in New York on business. Do I need to phone him and tell him where I am? I am 25, Richard! I should _not_need a chaperone!"

Richard held his hands up in defence. "I understand." He told her. "But why are you here?"

Kori furrowed her brow. "What do you mean? I told you I came here to apologise."

Dick shook his head and gave Kori a weak smile. "You didn't come here to apologise, Kori. Did you."

Her eyes widened. "I…I…"

"Listen." Richard interrupted. "I was wrong to have given you my phone number. In all truth, your fiancée was right to be protective because I was hoping that there could be something between us because I was so _star-struck_ by you. But I realise now how _stupid _that was of me. You're getting _married_. You're happy! It was wrong of me to even _think_ that I had a chance."

Kori starred in awe. "Richard, you do not even know me. How can you have been 'star-struck'?"

Dick sighed. "It all started when I met you on the train. There was just…just something about you that made you…different. Special. I've dated some women in my time and every one of them was so…so…"He gave a sound of frustration. "I don't know. But you. You…oh this is ridiculous, I'm just leading myself on."

Kori reached out her hand and laid it on top of his. "I…thank you. For paying me such compliments. I have never truly felt…special. Perhaps we could continue to be…friends?"

Richard stared at her hand for a moment before smiling. "That would be nice."

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**Author's Note:** _Reviews make me very happy and help me to produce interesting stories!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

Watching from her place at the door, Kori waved to Richard as turned and drove back down the long driveway that led to her house. It was late Saturday afternoon. Richard had called that morning, explaining that he had no need to attend work today and asked if she would like to accompany him to the carnival on Jump City pier.

She had eagerly accepted, having only visited a funfair once in her life, and that was at least 17 years ago. He had arrived on a motorcycle, much to Kori's surprise and horror. She had never ridden one before, and in all honesty, and never planned to. But Richard had assured he that it was safe and after much trouble trying to keep her skirt from riding up too far, they sped off. She had actually quite enjoyed it!

Upon arriving at the carnival, Richard had insisted that she ride the roller coaster. However, she was not so keen. Even after voicing her fear of such rides, Dick had taken her by the arm and dragged her through the queue, pulling her into a carriage with him. She had screamed all the way, squeezing his arm as tight as she could and burying her face in the crook of his neck. Her hair, usually neat and tidy, was thrown wildly over her head, stray strands sticking up as if she had stuck her fingers in an electrical socket. She didn't find it funny in the least but Richard had had a hard time containing his laughter. A quick 'TWACK' to the back of his head had done the job though and now it was Kori's turn to laugh.

They wondered aimlessly, engrossed in conversation whenever they were not on the rides, telling each other jokes and ridiculous stories about their lives. Richard had bought a large bag of cotton candy just as Kori had spotted the Ferris wheel, her favourite ride. The view from the top was fantastic. They could see for miles. Kori even claimed to be able to see her house but Richard rolled his eyes and told her not to exaggerate, causing her to laugh.

In her opinion, the day had ended much too quickly. She couldn't remember the last time she had had so much fun. Standing on her tiptoes, she managed to see the back of Richard's bike just as he disappeared around the corner. Sighing, she turned and walked back into her large house. It was awfully quiet. Maria had obviously already gone home, but Kori could still smell the crisp air-freshener she always used. Sighing once more and pulling off her boots she flopped down onto the large, red couch. Curling her feet underneath her she pulled a cushion onto her lap and hugged it to her chest. Suddenly, a blinking red light caught her eye. It was the answering machine. Setting the cushion aside, she stood up and made her way over to the phone. A loud beep sounded as she pressed a button and waited patientlyfor the messages.

"You.have.1.new.message." The machine told her before letting out another loud beep.

"Message.received.at 11.23.am."

Another voice began talking and Kori's eyes widened, knowing instantly who it was.

"Hi Kori, it's me. Listen, I'm really sorry that I never told you I had a business trip. I was a little caught up over the whole thing that happened at the club and…well y'know. Anyways, I'm calling to let you know that I'll be home early. A have one finally meeting this afternoon to close a deal and then I'm going straight to the airport and coming home to you, ok hunny? So I should be back about…7.30. See you soon, Kori. I love you."

"End.of.message."

Kori grinned and averted her eyes towards the clock. It was 5.45.

'Not long now.' She thought to herself letting out a squeal of excitement. 'Roy's coming home!'

Kori headed in the direction of the kitchen, a small spring in her step.

'I'll make him dinner.' She told herself and sighed happily. 'Today just keeps getting better.'

* * *

Her eyes for fixed intently on the clock on the wall in front of her. 7.55, it read. Finally tearing her gaze away she looked down at the table she had set. There were candles and wine…and two plates of food slowly going cold. 

'The plane must have been delayed.' She told herself. 'He'll be here soon.'

The ringing of the phone pulled her out of her thoughts. A smile reappeared on her face as she raced to answer it.

'That will be him.' She thought. 'He'll be phoning to say he's on his way and that he can't wait to see me.'

Yanking the phone off the hook, Kori held it to her ear.

"Hello?" She asked excitedly.

"Kori, it's me."

She sighed. It _was_ him. He really_ was_ coming home.

"Roy! I'm so glad you called. Was the plane delayed as usual?"

There was a long pause and Kori was close to repeating her question but Roy Spoke first.

"The plane wasn't delayed, Kori. Infact, it's probably already landed in Jump City."

Kori's brow furrowed. "You missed the flight? Well, can you get the next one?"

She heard Roy sigh. "I didn't miss the flight either. The company I was sent over here to see turned down our offer. I…I have to-"

"What, Roy? You have to what?" Kori questioned, becoming impatient.

"I had to stay in New York until they agree to our terms."

Kori felt tears springing to her eyes but he did her best to ignore them, and the lump that was forming in her throat. "How long will that be?" She asked cautiously.

"I don't know."

Kori bit her lip and closed her eyes as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Kori. I was all ready to come home and see you but…without this deal the company-"

"I understand, Roy." Kori interrupted, dragging the back of her hand roughly across her cheeks to wipe away the tears.

"Well then…er…I better go. I…I love you, Kori."

"Good night, Roy."

Hanging the phone back on the receiver she stood there for a moment, her eyes fixed on the floor. Clenching her fists tightly, she stormed back over to the dining room table and grabbed the two plates. Striding over to the rubbish bin, she scrapped the food off and dropped the plates in the sink before blowing out the candles and putting the wine back in the cupboard.

Her perfect day was ruined.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Ok everybody, say 'awwwwwwwwww'. Poor Kori went to all the trouble to cook a meal and then Roy doesn't even come home. She seems so lonely. :(_

_Found out that Teen Titans : Tokyo has now been changed to Teen Titans :Trouble in Tokyo, hmmm...dunno if that means anything to you guys but ho-hum._


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** _Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I have a favour to ask though. If you review (and I hope you do) can you guys write a little more than "update soon". I would really like it if people told me what they like and didn't like and where they think I can improve._ **

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**Chapter 8**

"You _what_!" Victor yelled, jumping up from his seat.

Richard sighed. "I…I saw her again. We went to the carnival, that's all. It was completely innocent!"

Victor slapped his forehead and dragged his hand down his face in despair. "Man, how many times do I have to tell you? It's a bad idea."

"Why?" Richard exclaimed, narrowing his eyes.

Sighing, Vic took hold of his beer can and dropped back onto the couch. "One; she's getting married." He explained, holding up one finger and gulping back his drink. "Two; _you_ still think that there's a possibility that there could be something between you. Three; she's getting married. Oh, and did I forget to mention…she's getting married!"

Richard scowled. "Just because she's getting married doesn't mean we still can't be friends."

"But you want to be _more _than friends, Dick! And what's more; you're always on your own with her."

Frowning, Richard glared at the man in front of him. "What? You think I'd take advantage of her? You think we need a chaperone?"

Victor held him hands up in defence. "No, man. I'm just saying…if your own your own with her you're more likely to do something you may regret. Heck, _she_ might even do something she regrets!"

Dick sighed and hung his head. "You're…you're right. I just…she's so great, y'know. I dunno what to do."

Victor laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You just need to keep some distance between you."

* * *

Across town, Kori was having a rather _similar_ conversation. 

"You_ what?_" Terra squealed in excitement.

Kori sighed and looked at herself in the full-length mirror, admiring her wedding gown. The girls had come over to try on their bridesmaid's dresses and for some reason Kori had blurted out about her encounters with Richard Grayson.

"We went to the carnival, that is all." She replied, trying to make it sound like no big deal.

"That's all? That's _all_?" Terra waddled over to her friend, trying not the step on the hem of her dress. "Kori, you're practically a married woman and you've been seeing Richard behind Roy's back!" She narrowed her eyes playfully. "You _naughty_ girl!"

"I have _not_ been seeing him behind Roy's back!" Kori exclaimed. "Roy just…doesn't know. And why should he, I mean, he is all the way over in New York!"

Raven smirked at how flustered her friend was becoming.

"And_ what_ do you find so amusing, Raven?" Kori asked, obviously agitated.

"You." She replied simply.

"Well I don't think it's funny." Karen interrupted as she reappeared from the kitchen, drinks in hand. "I think it's pretty serious."

Setting the drinks down on a small, wooden table, Karen hitched up her bridesmaid gown and made her way over to her friend. She placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Kori," She began. Pausing to form an appropriate sentence. "You and Roy…you're happy together, right?"

Without even thinking Kori claimed that they were but Karen pressed her again.

"We're…" Kori stopped and fell down onto the couch, her gown spilling out around her. "I would _like_ to say that I am happy." She told them. "But I am rather dreadful at lying."

Suddenly the whole situation was no longer amusing. Terra and Raven joined Karen on the couch opposite the one Kori was sitting on.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Raven asked caringly. "We would have understood. What's been happening, Kori?"

Kori sniffed back the tears that were threatening to fall and clenched her jaw tight.

"Roy is just…he is not the man I thought he was. He's not the man I fell in love with!"

That was it. She could no longer keep all her emotions bottled up. It was too much. She chocked on a sob and covered her mouth with her hand. Her friends were instantly at her side.

"Don't cry, babe!" Terra soothed, wrapping her arm round Kori's shoulders and rocking her slightly.

Karen sighed and shook her head in confusion. "Kori, if you don't love Roy, then why are you still with him? What haven't you broken off the engagement?"

Kori dried her tears and sat up from Terra's embrace.

"It's not that simple." She croaked. "I _do_ love Roy! It's just…we never spend any time together. We have not discussed the wedding, _our_ wedding! And we are to be married in 3 weeks! We have made hardly _any_ preparations. I do not even think we have arranged our honeymoon!" She wiped her eyes again, smudging her eyeliner. "He is so…so _unreliable._ When we first met he was such a romantic. Always leaving little notes for me to find and buying me beautiful bouquets of flowers. Always telling me…" She paused and let out another sob, her bottom lip trembling. "Always telling me that I am beautiful."

"Girl, you're _still_ beautiful!" Karen assured. "You don't need to worry 'bout that!"

Kori managed a small smile. "Thank you. I do appreciate the compliment, but it is not the same. When Roy told me I was beautiful it made me feel like he still thought of me. I do not believe he thinks of me at all now. He is too busy with his job."

She spat out that last sentence. A hint of anger only just noticeable to her friends.

"What about Richard?" Raven asked cautiously. "You and he have been pretty friendly recently."

Kori's eyes widened. "Richard is…just a friend!" She exclaimed, convincing nobody, not even herself.

"You sure about that Kor?" Terra asked

"I…" Kori furrowed her brow. "I don't know. He…he has just been so kind and-"

Karen cut her off. "Kori, it's obvious that you've been feeling neglected by Roy. Maybe Richard was just…" She rephrased her sentence. "Maybe having him around makes you feel wanted again."

Kori let out a sigh. "You…you are probably right. But still…I must find out for sure."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** _You guys are probably going to kill me for this chapter. It's a little short and there are some unexpected...twists that are gonna make it hard for Kori and Richard. Oh, but some good news! My sister gave birth to a baby boy this week. So that means I'm an auntie!_**

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**Chapter 9**

Richard sighed and dragged a hand through his unruly locks. Victor had told him to 'keep his distance', to 'keep himself occupied'. Well he had certainly tried to keep himself occupied. He had a young, blonde woman sleeping in his bed right now to prove it too! But why was it that all he could think about…was _her_?

Sitting in the bar the night before, his thoughts were smothered by _her_. When the young woman, Rebecca was her name, asked him to dance, his mind flashed back to that night at the club. And when she kissed him, he had imagined that it was _her_. _Her_ lips moving against his and not Rebecca's. Sure, Rebecca was a nice enough person but she was loud, and sloppy, and…everything that Kori wasn't.

Now, at 6:30 in the morning, he was slouched in a large armchair in his apartment, regretting the entire evening.

"Morning, handsome." A voice cooed from the doorway.

Dick looked up. It was Rebecca, clad in one of his shirts. He couldn't help but chuckle when he noticed that it swamped her tiny frame. Her golden hair fell around her face and her blue eyes sparkled as the morning light reflected off of them. She was very pretty…but not what he wanted.

"Did you sleep ok?" He asked, watching as she moved towards him.

"I did." She replied simply, tip-toeing her fingers up his chest. "What about you? You're up kinda early."

"I had some things that needed to be done and I didn't want to wake you so-" His words were cut off as she pressed her lips firmly to his in a demanding kiss.

He willed himself to enjoy it; even allowing his tongue to travel into her mouth and his hands to caress her backside ever so slightly. She smirked and began to tug at his t-shirt but he pulled back suddenly, gasping for breath.

"Do you…want some breakfast?" He asked, trying not to show his discomfort. For a moment there he had actually enjoyed the kiss, but his mind subconsciously travelled to think if _her_ and he could no longer continue.

Rebecca licked her lips and smiled. "Sure."

* * *

Tugging her coat closer to her body, Kori hurried along the narrow path. It was a cold morning and with each breath she took, a little, white, puff appeared and then disappeared in the air in front of her. She wasn't quite sure _why_ she had decided to get up and leave the warmth of her home to walk outside at this time of the morning. She wasn't even sure where she was heading. But something in the back of her mind told her to keep on walking. 

She kept her head down as she neared a couple of young men who looked her up and down hungrily and wolf-whistled as she passed them. One of them called out derogatory name and asked for her number but she ignored him and quickened her pace.

Briskly turning the corner she suddenly realised what it was that she needed to do. His apartment block was in sight at the end of the road and without a second thought she began to move towards it.

'I need to know.' She thought to herself. 'I need to know what he feels. What _I_ feel.'

Logic suddenly smacked her in the back of the head.

"It is only 7 'o clock." She spoke aloud and glanced at her watch just to make sure.

'But it _is _a Monday.' She countered. 'Maybe I could catch him before he leaves for work.'

Satisfied with her own reasoning, Kori once again began to walk towards the apartment block. Upon entering the building, it took her a while to remember exactly where _his_ apartment was. After deciding that it must be on the 2nd floor, she wandered up and down the corridors; asking herself whether or not she should knock on a random door and ask what number he lived at.

The sound of creaking hinges caught her attention and she turned her head. She grinned as the man in question stepped out, but much to her surprise, someone else followed him. A woman. A very pretty woman, Kori thought. She had long, blonde hair, and dazzling blue eyes. Her figure was sickeningly perfect and her complexion held no flaws. The woman grinned mischievously, hooking her arm around Richard's neck and kissing him soundly before waving goodbye and waking away. She smiled at Kori as she passed and gave on final glance in Richard's direction. His smile faded when he noticed that the redhead standing in the corridor was the redhead that he had been thinking about for the past 24 hours.

"Kori?" He asked, slightly confused. "What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing her name being called, Kori snapped out of her trance. She stared at Richard; eyes wide.

"Kori?" He called again.

"I was…I mean, I was just…" She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "It…it was nothing of importance, Richard. Good day."

She turned quickly on her heel and headed back down towards the elevators.

"Kori!" Richard called after her. "Kori, wait!"

But she did not.

She was out of breath and her legs were aching, but she didn't care. She ran, hard and fast until the driveway that led to her house was visible. Her shoes thudded against the tarmac. Pains shot up from her feet, through her calves and up her back.

'Nearly there.' She thought, urging herself forward.

She reached out her hands and sighed in relief when they came into contact with the wooden panels of her front door. She fumbled with her keys, and with a shaky hand she turned the lock and pushed the door open. Leaning against the cream walls of the hallway, she waited for her erratic breathing to slow down.

"Enjoy your jog?" A voiced asked, causing Kori to give a small shriek.

She turned towards the voice and starred in stunned silence.

"R-Roy?"

Roy grinned sheepishly. "Surprise!"

He chuckled at Kori's expression. "I asked my boss if he could send someone else to finish the deal in New York. He agreed and I flew straight back. I wanted to see you so bad, Kori."

His eyes widened as she ran into his arms and sobbed into his chest. She hugged him tightly, as if afraid that he'd disappear.

"Are you ok?" He asked cautiously.

She raised her tear-stained face and gave a small smile. Her eyes glistened.

"I'm just…so glad that you're home."

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Review as usual please!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **_Thanks for all your reviews. I had 2 reviews from an annonymous person who thought they had offended me. Well, you haven't so don't worry. :) I did some research on Roy Harper and couldn't find anything about his mother so I've made up a name and a personality for her, based on my own assumptions. :D If anyone has her real name then please let me know and I'll change it._

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**Chapter 10**

Kori sighed dreamily and her eyelids fluttered open. It was morning and the suns rays caressed the silken sheets on her bed making them shine. Turning her head cautiously to the left she grinned. It hadn't been just a dream. Roy really was home and last night…last night's _passionate_ love making really had happened.

Right now, Roy was still asleep, his light snoring only just audible. Kori noticed that one of his arms was still tightly wrapped around her waist making her body tilt, ever so slightly, towards him. Propping herself up on one elbow she gazed down at his face with a loving smile. His red hair was ruffled, his eyes were shut and his lips were slightly parted. This was what she wanted. To have the man of her dreams, _her_ Roy, sleeping soundly beside her every night for the rest of her life. To start a family and raise his children. Yes, _this_ was what she wanted. …Wasn't it? Her smile faltered for a second. Why was she suddenly so unsure of her desires? She had _always_ wanted Roy; right from the very moment she saw him. So what was missing? Did she _need_ anything else?

"Kori, are you gonna stare at me like that all morning?"

She blinked and saw that Roy had one eye open and was looking up at her with a sleepy expression. She blushed.

"Sorry. I was just-"

She was silenced by his lips. Somehow they didn't feel like they had done the night before. His kiss didn't seem to have the same effect on her. Her mind continued to wander and so did his lips. They moved down her neck and then back up to her ear where he proceeded to tentatively nip at her lobe. She shuddered subconsciously.

"Last night was incredible." He breathed, grinning when he mistook her sigh of confusion for one of pleasure. _She_ was still thinking about her doubts but _he_ had other plans.

Moving his hand from her shoulder, he slid it gently down the side of her body before giving her backside a little squeeze and finally coming to rest on her thigh. Kori snapped out of her thoughts when that same hand slide between her legs.

"Roy!" She squeaked.

He looked down at her with a mischievous glint in his eye. He mumbled her name and began to move his hand again but stopped when Kori pushed against his chest and sat up.

"N-not this morning, Roy." She stuttered, wrapping the sheets around her naked form and rising off the bed, leaving a rather disappointed redhead behind.

* * *

Silence filled they air as they ate their breakfast. Kori dared a glance at her fiancée but his eyes were fixed firmly on his newspaper. She could just about make out the headline on the front page. 

"Wayne Enterprise and Harper Industries struggle for dominance."

She sighed. Roy was back but things…things didn't seem any different than before he went away. He still had a job to do; a job that was in jeopardy at the moment. He would still have to work 5 days a week while she sat at home, patiently waiting for him to return. But as much as she hated to admit it, her patience was running out.

When she had first gotten engaged to Roy she had known one thing for sure; that she would always be financially stable with him. But she needed more than that. She needed his love. Something that, right now, she wasn't receiving.

'Talk to him.' Her mind urged. 'Tell him what you need.'

Taking a deep breath, she began. "Roy."

His eyes lifted from the newspaper, to her, and then back again. "Yeah, Kori. What's up?"

"I…well I was hoping that –"

Her sentence was cut short by the sound of the doorbell. It's tune echoed off the walls of the house.

Roy groaned. "Maria!" He called out to the housemaid. "Could you get that?"

Finally setting down his newspaper, Roy turned to face Kori. "Sorry, babe. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that…well I was wondering if you would-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Harper," Maria interrupted. "But you're parents are at the door."

Roy's eyes widened and Kori's jaw dropped.

"Your…your parents?" She stuttered.

Kori was a tough yet respectable young woman but when it came to Roy's mother…well, things got a little _scary_.

Roy shrugged and got up from the table. He headed down the corridor, closely followed by Kori.

"Mum, dad, what are you doing here?" He asked as both and he and Kori arrived in the hallway.

Roy's father, Roy senior, patted his son on the back. "Thought we'd come and spend a couple'a days with you and the lovely Miss Kori." He explained, throwing a wink in Kori's direction.

"It was all your father's idea!" Roy's mother, Kaitlyn, exclaimed, handing her brown, fur coat to Maria. "_I_ wanted to stay at home. After all, your father sees you everyday at work."

Seeing the brief flicker of hurt in her son's eyes, Kaitlyn spread her arms and pulled him into an embrace.

"But then again, _I_ don't get to see you everyday, do I."

Pulling away, Kaitlyn turned her gaze towards Kori.

"Now, young lady, I do believe that we have a wedding to plan."

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Prepare yourself for some serious mother/daughter-in-law tension. I was watching 'Monster-in law' the other day so the idea of an evil future mother-in-law just came to me._

_So...you know that little button down there on the left? It says 'Review'. Press it and write a comment on this chapter please._


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **_I'm not going to apologise for my long absence because it wasn't my fault. I've been very ill recently and it's been affecting my writing and just about everything else. I think some of you guys need to be a little bit more patient because I have more to do than sit around and update fanfictions. I do this for a hobby and hobbies are supposed to be enjoyable so I'm not going to push myself to update as fast as possible._

_Ok, sorry for that little rant. Moving on, I've made a subtle reference to another TT character who should be showing up soon. Anyone who can tell me who this person is in the comics will have my next chapter dedicated to them. :)_**

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**Chapter 11**

Kori groaned quietly and let her head fall into her hands. Roy's parents had arrived only 2 hours ago and Roy and his father had left to talk business, leaving Kaitlyn and herself behind. The woman had talked non-stop! If she wasn't talking about her 'oh so perfect' life, she was talking about clothes and fashion.

"So I went back to the boutique the next day," She continued. "And ordered that the woman be fired for giving me the wrong dress. And in the wrong size too!"

She paused for a second to take a sip of her water, giving Kori a matter of seconds to enjoy the quietness.

"Speaking of dresses!" Kaitlyn exclaimed, causing Kori to jump. "I found the most magnificent dress for your wedding. It's cream with a dark blue sash and-"

"Actually, Kaitlyn, I already have my dress ready for the wedding." Kori explained in a calm manner, despite the fact that she was livid on the inside.

Kaitlyn blinked several times and sat back in her seat. "Oh." She stated simply. "I see."

An awful silence ensued and both women glanced off into space, neither one wanting to give in and restart the conversation.

Suddenly the phone rang and Kori had to use every bit of will power to stop herself from getting on her knees and thanking God.

"I'll get it!" She exclaimed, practically flying off of the sofa and darting into the corridor.

"Hello?" She answered, rolling her eyes at her own enthusiasm.

The person on the other end of the phone began to speak and Kori's brow furrowed.

"Yes, this is the Harper residence. …Y-yes, she's here. …O-ok."

Staring baffled at the phone for a second, Kori re-entered the living room and looked towards Kaitlyn.

"It's…for you."

Kaitlyn smiled sweetly. "For me?"

Kori nodded and handed the phone over before reclaiming her seat on the sofa. Pretending to busy herself with a magazine, she eyed Kaitlyn carefully and listened intently to the conversation.

'What is she planning?'

"Hello?" Kaitlyn asked before gasping in delight. "Oh, Jade! Dearest, how are you? …No of _course_ I haven't forgotten! …Yes, we'll see you tonight. …Ok. …Bye!"

Setting down her magazine, Kori turned to her future mother-in-law. "Going somewhere exciting tonight, are you?" She asked, trying her hardest to not seem like she was prying.

Kaitlyn chuckled. "Well I wouldn't call it exciting, Kori. And have you forgotten already about where we're all going this evening?"

Kori blinked in confusion. "All of us?"

"Yes, Dear!" Kaitlyn replied with a smile. "The annual Harper Industries business dinner. Except this year we'll be joined by Mr. Wayne from Wayne Enterprise and no doubt some of his employees. It has something to do with this…_ownership_ problem." She quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Did you not know?"

* * *

Kori looked at herself in the floor-length mirror on the wall of the bedroom. It was a business affair and so she had opted for a simple, yet beautiful, black dress. It was off the shoulders and the V-shaped neckline showed off a modest amount of cleavage. The fabric skimmed her curves and came to a stop just below her knees leaving her long, tanned legs on show. 

Lifting her arms up she attempted to fasten her silver necklace around her neck.

"I wish you have told me about this evening." She said suddenly, growling as she failed to do up the clasp. "Can you help me with this?"

Roy complied and lifted his fiancée's fiery hair in order to do ask she asked. He sighed.

"I would have told you, Kori." He stated, replying to her previous comment. "But _I_ didn't even know about it until dad told me this afternoon!"

"Then why did your mother imply that I had forgotten and that you should have already known?" She questioned, turning to tighten his tie.

"I don't know."

He took a deep breath and kissed her briefly on the lips before taking her hand.

"Come on. Let's get going."

* * *

Inside "The Crystal Chandelier" the atmosphere was buzzing. The entire restaurant had been rented out for the evening and there was definitely not a shortage of guests. A long table ran down the middle of the restaurant. It was decorated neatly with silver cutlery and china plates. Candles were placed intermittently along the centre of the table giving it a very elegant appearance. 

Kori clung to Roy's arm and gripped her clutch bag tighter. She felt ever so out of place; knowing no one but Roy and his parents. Not to mention the fact that most, possibly _all_, of the guests were Harper or Wayne employees.

Roy leaned his head down to her level. "I'm gonna go get us a drink." He whispered in her ear before prying her hands off of his arm and leaving her standing, rather hopelessly, in a corner. Her eyes followed him as he headed towards the bar and disappeared in the large crowds. There was a knot of anxiety slowly building in her stomach and it was fuelled as she suddenly took note of the strange glances from the other women present. She tried her hardest to smile as her mind continued it's push and pull argument about whether to stride over and start up a conversation but it was as if her feet were glued permanently to the tiled floor!

"Well, this is _definitely_ the _last_ place I expected to see you." A voice chuckled from behind.

Kori's eyes widened and she turned slowly. Strangely enough the first thing she noticed about the man before her was that his hair, in place of its usual mass of ebony spikes, was smoothed down. Only then did her gaze venture down to settle upon his face and yet she still could not will herself to talk. Luckily for her a small bell was rung, signalling that dinner was ready and everyone began to make their way to their assigned seats. She smiled in relief when she saw Roy standing at their end on the table, waiting for her, but that relief was short lived when she suddenly realised who the woman sitting opposite them was. Her fears when confirmed when Richard made his way over and sat next to her. It was the same woman from that morning at Richard's apartment.

The woman smiled sweetly at her in blissful ignorance and Richard cocked a grin. This was going to be a _long_ evening.

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**Author's Note:** _A little bit of mother/daughter-in-law tension there. __I've brought Richard back, as you can see. Let's see what mischief happens during the dinner. _

_Who is Jade? __A clue: Jade is her real name but she wasn't a Titan. Look through Speedy's history to find the answer_

_Reviews are more than welcome. _


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **_Thanks so much for all your reviews, You're fantastic. You really inspire me to write more. :) And thanks to everyone who sent me "get well" messages". :)_

**_Congratulations to Daybreak25 for being the first to answer correctly to last chapter's competition. This chapter is dedicated to you._ **

_Jade Nguyen a.k.a Cheshire. In the comics, she and Roy (who was undercover at the time) fell in love and it was later discovered that they had a child together. I won't be bringing a child into this story, however, as it would just complicate things. Well done to everyone else who guessed correctly._ **

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**

**Chapter 12**

Kori held a hand to her mouth to cover a yawn. The appetizers and main courses had already been served which left time for both company owners to make a speech before the deserts were bought out. Mr. Harper had gone first, listing his reasons why he felt that Harper Industries should remain an independent company rather than being bought by Wayne Enterprises. Mr. Harper wasn't a boring person to listen too. Far from it. He was very animated and smiled as he talked. His voice seemed to bring life to any conversation. But tonight, Kori was having trouble paying attention to what he was saying. She was busy trying to keep her eyes off of Richard and the woman next to him. He had his arm draped over the back of her chair and she was leaning, ever so slightly, towards him. They both had their eyes fixed upon the speaker and both seemed oblivious to Kori's gaze.

The room was suddenly filled with the noise of clapping hands, obviously at Mr. Harper's speech and Kori snapped herself back to reality and joined in, completely unaware of anything that had been said. She took a deep breath as Mr. Bruce Wayne, who was positioned at the opposite end of the table to Mr, Harper, stood up. She willed herself to pay attention this time.

Gazing around at this audience, Mr. Wayne cleared his throat and began.

"Carrying on from what Mr. Harper just said, in order for a company to become a family all members must be treated with kindness and with respect. No one should be put above anyone else. No matter what race, sex or religion we are, Wayne Enterprises _promises_ equal opportunities and fair treatment for all of our employee's. By buying Harper industries I do not aim to put hundreds of men and women out of their jobs as many of you have come to think. Your jobs are yours to keep. But what I do aim to do, is to connect two…networks; two groups of very skilled individuals to create _one_ company. One '_family'_. Working together we would be able to _advance_ the world's technology. Isn't that what we _all_ aim to do in the long run?

Again the sound of clapping filled the air. Kori looked around at the amount of smiling faces and nodding heads. Mr. Wayne was certainly a good speaker.

"I wish I could be like Mr. Harper," He continued. "And say that I had a son that could…look over this 'family' once I am retired. However I have never been married and have therefore never had the privilege of creating and raising a child. However I have always had in mind a…picture, of what I would have liked my son to be like. He would be, of course, brave and handsome, like his father."

Many in the room chuckled and Kori couldn't help but join in.

"He would be a good leader and someone who people could look up to. He would be strong yet gentle, commanding yet compassionate. Over the decades I have looked for such a man and, although I never told him, I could not find someone more fitting…than Mr. Richard Grayson."

Kori's eye's widened as she turned to Richard who was wearing a similar expression. All eyes in the room where on him.

"It would make me very happy to see you take over the business, Richard. What do you say?"

Richard stared blankly for what seemed like hours before grinning and nodding his head enthusiastically. The room once again erupted in applause and Mr. Wayne took his seat.

* * *

Desert had been eaten, a Jazz band had arrived and many of the restaurant's guests had left their seats to dance. Seats turned to face to dance floor, Kori leaned gently against Roy as they observed the many couples that swayed back and forth to the music. It was so relaxing to watch. The peace was not to last though as Kaitlyn made her way towards them both; a young, Asian-looking woman being dragged behind her. She had long, wavy, black hair and green, slanted eyes. She was wearing a simple, jade green dress that was longer on one side and complimented her features beautifully. 

"Roy!" Kaitlyn called out. "Look who I found!"

Kori felt Roy's body stiffen as he looked in the direction of his mother. He stood up and dealt her a glare before turning to the woman.

"Jade, it's…er…nice to see…what are you doing here?"

The woman chuckled, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear. "I'm a reporter, Roy. I'm writing an article about the handover of Harper Industries to Wayne Enterprise."

"You mean the _yet-to-be-decided_ handover of Harper Industries to Wayne Enterprise." Roy corrected with a grin.

"Can I quote you on that?" Jade asked with a wink. She looked behind Roy and smiled. "And who is this?"

"Oh!" Roy exclaimed, remembering his manners. "This is Kori Anders, my fiancée."

Jade's smile faltered for a second before she held out her hand. Kori stood and shook it, taking note of Jade's exceptionally long nails.

"It's nice to meet you." She greeted. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Roy?"

Jade opened her mouth to reply but Kaitlyn got in first. "Oh Jade and Roy used to date, Kori!" She explained.

Kori _now_ saw why Kaitlyn was so eager to introduce her. She also now remembered her phone call earlier in the day. She was trying to make her jealous! But was it working? She looked quickly at Roy and did a double take when she saw that his gaze was on Jade. She heard Kaitlyn continue her one-sided conversation about how they were the perfect couple when they were together.

"I'm…going to go get some air." Kori declared, cutting the conversation short.

"I'll come with you." Roy said, beginning to follow her but she turned back and shook her head. "Roy, please could I just have a minute to myself?"

His mouth hung open but he nodded in response and she walked away.

* * *

Much to Kori's delight the restaurant had a garden. She found a seat and collapsed onto it with a sigh. The air was humid and the stars were hidden by clouds but she could just about see the faint glow of a full moon. The jazz band could be heard in the distance, their music calming Kori's mood. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, taking in the serenity. 

"It's funny how we keep bumping into each other, isn't it."

She spun her head around to see Richard standing less than 2 foot away, a grin fixed on his face.

She smiled up at him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking me, Mr. Future owner of Wayne Enterprises."

He chuckled lightly and took the seat next to her. "I wonder if Bruce would let me change the name to Grayson Enterprises."

"I highly doubt that." She replied, rolling her eyes.

The two fell silent, both staring at nothing, listening to the gentle chorus of crickets.

Kori's mind was spinning and she bit her lip. "So who was your date?" She asked, unable to keep quiet and yet, not daring to look him in the face.

"Her name's Rebecca." He answered, no emotion in his voice. "We met at a club a few days ago and…got on quite well. So I invited her."

Kori nodded, keeping her head facing forward. "I'm glad you've met someone. Everyone deserves to be happy."

Richard snorted. "She doesn't mean anything to me, Kori. What I mean is, I don't like her in that way. She's…not really my type."

"But you liked her enough to sleep with her." Kori shot back, surprised and yet instantly regretting allowing those words to leave her mouth.

Richard seemed stunned for a moment; his eyes wide and jaw slack. "Kori, it was just one time and actually…I don't think what I do in my personal time is any of your concern."

Kori left up from her seat, holding a hand to head. "I know! I was just…I'm sorry! I didn't…"

She paced up and down reeling off apology after apology and mumbling things that Richard couldn't quite understand. He grabbed her by the shoulders and held her still.

"Kori, it's ok. I forgive you."

"No!" She exclaimed. "You _shouldn't _forgive me! I'm a horrible person. I say things I don't mean to say. I do things I'm not supposed to do. I lead people on! Oh God, I'm so _stupid_!"

A loud clap of thunder sounded, followed by a streak of lightening. The rain began to fall heavily, instantly drenching to two of them.

Richard furrowed his brow. "Whoa, whoa whoa! _What_ are you talking about? You've not been leading me on."

Kori lifted her head to reveal the tears that were rolling down her cheeks, dropping off her chin and falling into the puddles that were growing larger by the second. Her bangs stuck to her forehead and her dress clung tightly to her figure.

"I wasn't talking about you." She whispered. "I meant _Roy_."

She leapt forward and pressed her lips to his but gave him no chance to latch on as she pulled away quickly and held a hand to her mouth to stifle a sob.

"Kori-"

"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, backing away slowly. "I'm so sorry."

Turning, she ran back into the safety of the restaurant, leaving a gob smacked Richard standing in the rain.

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Does that satisfy everyone's need for Kori/Dick fluff? I hope so. I've had so many people ask me if this is a R/S story. YES IT IS! But it would hardly be a good story if Kori just suddenly went off with Richard and forgot all about Roy. We need drama! _


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **_To be completely honest...this chapter SUCKS! Big time! It's just a filler really but I promise to make more frequent updates and promise to make them much more interesting than this chapter. Ok :D_

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"Kori was acting very _odd_ on the way home last night." Kaitlyn commented as she tucked into her breakfast. Roy senior had already set off for work, leaving Roy junior and herself to talk.

"She wasn't well, mom." Roy replied, setting his newspaper aside and taking another bite of his toast. "She told me this morning that she was feeling sick so I left her in bed."

Kaitlyn frowned. "Well I guess that means she won't be joining me at the mall. Although she looked perfectly healthy to me. Anyway, what did you think when I brought Jade to see you?"

Roy took note of his mothers grin and sighed loudly. "Honestly, I don't think it was the best idea you've ever had."

"Whatever do you mean?" She asked, sounding rather hurt.

"You know full well of the history Jade and I share, mom. Besides, I'm getting married and I'm not sure Kori would appreciate seeing me with other women 2 weeks before our wedding."

"Well I don't see why you can't just be friends." Kaitlyn continued. "And as for Kori; I'm sure she has some male friends of her own. Why, just last night I spotted her conversing with that Richard Grayson from Wayne Enterprise."

Roy froze. "I have to get to work." He said stiffly and headed towards the door, leaving Kaitlyn smirking to herself.

* * *

A knock on the door caused Kori to moan. She turned over and held the pillow over her head. Another knock sounded and she sighed. 

"What do you want?" She asked, her voice slightly muffled.

"Kori, it's us, girl! Let us in!"

"The doors unlocked." She called back, pulling herself into a sitting position just as Karen, Raven and Terra walked in.

"You ok, Kori?" Terra asked as she made her way over and sat on the end of the bed. "Roy's mom said you were sick."

Kori groaned. "I'm not sick." She replied, dragging a hand over her face. "I just didn't want to have to face anyone today."

"Why? What's wrong?" Raven asked monotonously from her seat in the corner.

Kori hesitated. "Just…it was something that happened at that party last night. I do not really want to talk about it."

Karen shook her head. "Girl, you know you can't keep secrets from us. Spill!"

"Yeah, Kori." Terra agreed. "Tell us what happened. It can't be that bad."

"You have no idea." Kori replied with a sigh.

Terra grinned. "Oh come on, Kori! It's not as if you cheated on Roy or anything!" She let out an amused laugh at her own joke and looked around at her friends as if expecting them to be doing the same. But they weren't. Raven glared at her, Karen was biting her lip and Kori had disappeared under the covers.

"Oh my God!" Terra exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth. "You _did_ cheat on Roy!"

Throwing back the duvet, Kori leapt out of bed. "I did not cheat on Roy!" She cried, pacing up and down. "I mean, I don't _think_ I did. I don't know what I was thinking. But it was just one kiss and –"

"A kiss?" Raven repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Kori nodded and collapsed back onto her bed. "Yes, a kiss. Is that such a terrible thing?" She asked hopefully.

"That depends." Karen replied. "Who did you kiss?"

All eyes were on Kori, waiting for her answer. She blushed, turning a very deep shade of red before mumbling her answer. It came out like "miched mason" and the girls looked at her with confused stares.

"Who?" Terra asked again.

"It was Richard Grayson, alright!" She screamed, tears pooling in her emerald eyes. "We were talking and in my mind I thought that the only way for me to discover what my true feelings were, was for me to kiss him." She gasped as if suddenly realising the seriousness of the situation.

"So what did this little kiss prove?" Raven asked, rubbing her temples. She didn't cope well with drama.

"I don't…I'm not sure." She stuttered.

"Kori, you gotta call off this wedding." Karen interrupted, her tone serious. But Kori shook her head.

"I can _not_ call off the wedding." She told them sternly.

"Why not?" Karen countered. "You're confused Kori. The last thing any of us would want is for you to enter into a marriage where you aren't happy. Even if you do love Roy, just call of the wedding for now so that you can make sure it's what you want."

Kori was silent for a moment, weighing up her options. She let out a sigh. "No. The wedding will still take place."

The girl's eyes widened simultaneously.

Terra stepped forward. "Kori, you can't be serious."

"I am." She replied coldly. "Now please leave."

"But-"

"Leave!"

* * *

"Rae, I don't understand what you want me to do." 

Following the events that took place at Kori's house, Raven had taken it upon herself to visit the man that was causing so much trouble.

She groaned. "Dick, you have to convince Kori to call off the wedding. She won't listen to anyone else."

"And what makes you think she'll listen to me?" Richard asked, running a hand through his ebony hair in nervousness.

Raven glared. "Dick I _know_ what happened with you and Kori last night. Don't try and act all innocent."

"Hey, _she_ kissed _me_!" He shot back, not liking where this conversation was going. Wasn't he the victim in all of this?

"You and her…" Raven paused, trying to find the right words. "You seem to have this…_connection_. Dick, I've known you since college. I've seen you date girls, I've even dated you myself." She laughed at that, seemingly smiling at the memory. "But I've never seen you like this. Ever since you met Kori…you've been different."

Richard scoffed and stood up. "What, you saying I'm in love with her or something?"

Raven was silent.

"Ok, so I like her!" Hr confessed. "But what can I do about it? I mean, she's engaged to be married in a _week_!"

"But she's not happy with Roy." Raven argued, staring into his eyes. "She's happy when she's with you."

Richard shook his head. "Look Rae, breaking up relationships is not what I do, ok? No matter how much this hurts, there's nothing I can do."

Raven stood up to protest. "But Dick –"

"Raven that's enough!"

Her brow pulled into a frown. "Fine!" She snapped. "If you want to let her walk away, then be my guest."


	14. MESSAGE TO READERS

**Message to my readers**

Hi guys!

I realise that I haven't updated this story since the summer and I know that some of you are getting a little restless. Please rest assured though that this story has **NOT** been discontinued! The next chapter has been half written for about 4 months but due to college work, ill health and very little free time I haven't been able to complete and update it. Don't give up on me yet! My plan for 2007 is to finish this story! Hehe!

Thanks to all of you who have kept reviewing and PM'ing me. It's very much appreciated.

Hope you are all as well as possible!


	15. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: **_I've had this chapter on my laptop for months but I couldn't figure out how to end it. I'm still not very happy with it but I felt I had kept you waiting far too long. So here it is. :)_**

* * *

**

**Chapter 14**

The sun was shinning brightly. Mother nature had painted a canvas of serene blue skies and dotted a few white fluffy clouds here and there. A gentle summer breeze blew through the trees and the flowers in the front borders in front of the Harper residence swayed slightly as if waving. All was calm and peaceful until…

"Where is she?!" Roy screamed, opening and slamming doors as he searched the house.

"Where is who?" His father asked calmly, not even bothering to look up from his newspaper as he sat comfortably on the couch.

"Kori!" Roy exclaimed, waving his arms about frantically. "She's gone!"

"What do you mean, she's _gone_?" Roy's mother asked as she entered the room, her eyes dancing with interest.

"I _mean_ she's just gone." Roy repeated with frustration. "As in, she was here last night when we went to bed and now she's not!" He growled and paced up and down. "We're getting married in two days. Why on earth would she just…_disappear_ without telling me?"

The three of them remained silent and Kaitlyn formed a knowing smirk. Finally setting his newspaper aside, Roy senior leant forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions? Maybe Kori went out shopping or something." He suggested.

Roy shook his head and fell into a chair. "It's only just gone 9. The shops will have only just opened and I _definitely_ think Kori's been gone more than an hour already." He sighed. He turned to his mother. "Where do you think she went, mom?"

Kaitlyn opened her mouth to reply but shut it just as quick. "There is _one_ place she might have gone." She told both men, slowly. "But…oh it _really_ isn't my place to say anything."

Roy stood up and held his mother's shoulders with a firm, determined grip. His stern eyes stared down at her. "Mom…tell me where she is."

She nodded, inwardly smiling. "Well, Kori's friends came over to visit a few days ago. But you'll _never_ guess what I overheard."

* * *

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Richard yelled over the repeated ringing of the doorbell. 'Some people are _so _impatient.' 

Striding through the living room he made his way over to the door and yanked it open. As he did so, a fist came flying towards him and hit him squarely in the face. Richard stumbled backwards onto the floor, clutching his nose.

"Son of a _bitch_!" He swore, knowing instantly that it was broken. He barely got a glimpse at his attacker, who had already stepped into the apartment, before he came in for another swing. Richard rolled out of the way just as the second fist collided with the wall behind him.

"Where's Kori?!" The attacker demanded, beginning to search the place.

Richard, still gripping his bleeding nose, rose up from the ground. "What are you talking about?" He asked, utterly confused.

The other man growled and leapt over the couch before pouncing on the still dazed Richard. He pinned his back against the wall roughly, bringing his face close to his. Finally Richard got a good look at him.

"Harper?"

"I'm going to ask you once more, Grayson." Roy hissed. "Where. Is. Kori?"

Richard brought his knee up and jammed it into Roy's stomach making him gasp before shoving him back. "How should I know?" He replied, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand. "She's _your_ fiancée."

"And _you're _her confidant apparently." Roy retorted, holding his stomach. "Now tell me where she's gone to before I _pound_ your face in!"

Richard snorted but kept his distance. "I don't know where she is, Roy. My guess is she's gone far away." He narrowed his eyes and glared at the redhead. "I don't blame her really. She told me about all those times you went away on business and left her alone. Kori is rather naïve but I saw straight through your act. You didn't trust her at the club that night because in reality it was _you_ that was being unfaithful."

"You son-of-a-bitch." Roy snarled. "You don't know what you're talking about. I _love_ Kori. I would _never_ do _anything_ to hurt her. But you!" He stalked towards him slowly. "You think I don't know about how you took advantage of her that other night at the party?"

Richard laughed. "Took advantage?" He repeated with amusement. "Hate to break it to ya, man, but _she_ kissed _me_."

"Don't lie to me!" He roared, leaping at him.

They fell to the floor, a tangle of arms and legs, as both fought for dominance. Roy succeeded but only for a second before Richard rolled, turned Roy onto his stomach and pinned his hands behind his back tightly.

"What exactly are you hoping to achieve by doing this?" Richard asked, pressing his knee into the small of Roy's back to make sure that he stayed put.

"I love Kori, and I won't let you hurt her!" Roy yelled in response and struggled to get free but Richard only held tighter.

"The only person I know to be hurting Kori, is_ you_." Richard accused. He lessened his grip slightly. "Now I'm gonna let go. Do you promise not to hit me again?"

Roy grunted in response and Richard stepped back as he stood up. Roy staggered to his feet, trying to do his best to look unaffected by being pinned to the floor for the last few minutes.

They faced each other and remained silent until Richard began to make his way towards the kitchen.

"You want a beer?"

* * *

The two men sat quietly in Richard's front room. Both held a can of beer. 

"Sorry." Roy mumbled, earning a look of confusion from Richard. "About your nose." He explained. "It was nothing personal, y'know. I was just angry about Kori going missing."

Richard nodded. "I've had worse. And I'm sure Kori is fine. She probably just went somewhere to think."

They fell back into an uncomfortable silence.

"Did…did Kori really kiss you that night?" Roy asked hesitantly, lowering his eyes and turning his head away.

Richard sighed and scratched the back of his neck. What was he supposed to tell the guy?

"Look…I'm not an expert on what goes on inside a woman's head but there's one thing I can tell you for sure. Kori's confused. Yeah, she kissed me, but I don't think it was out of love and I _know_ it wasn't to deliberately hurt you. She's too sweet to do anything like that."

"You got that right." Roy agreed. "I've never met anyone as kind and caring as Kori. It's part of what attracted me to her in the first place."

Richard smiled. "Me too. Looks like we have a common interest after all." He leant forward in his armchair. "Roy, I'm not gonna try and steal Kori away from you. Sure, I care about her but I know that you do too. So I'm gonna back off. I'm moving in two days.

Roy's eyes widened. "Moving? Where to?"

"Well since Bruce wants me to eventually take over Wayne Enterprises he thought it would be good for me to look after my own part of the business. He has a branch office in New York and I'm heading over there to oversee some of the latest projects."

Roy stood up and offered Richard his hand. "Well, good luck, Grayson."

Richard nodded. "Thanks. Same to you. Hope the wedding goes ok. Tell Kori I'll miss her but that I'll be back to visit some time."

Roy smiled. "Will do, man. Will do."

* * *

Across town, in Jump City Cemetery, sat a lonely young woman, her red hair hiding her face from view as she leant over two, cold gravestones. She held a bunch of flowers, which she spilt into two, laying half on each grave. 

"I don't know what to do." She croaked, a tear trickling down her cheek. "I love him, but I do not believe that I am _in_ love with him. Should I go through with this marriage? And if I do…what shall become of Richard?"

The breeze lifted her hair, whispering past her ears. It felt comforting. She smiled sadly though and came to her feet.

"I understand."

* * *

**Author's Note: **_So Roy and Richard have come to an understanding about Kori, but what understanding has Koi herself come to? And Richard is moving on the same day as the wedding!_


End file.
